Taking a break from the fall foliage images with a lighthouse shot from my recent visit to Charleston, SC. The Morris Island Lighthouse, a non-working lighthouse just north of Folly Beach at the entrance to Charleston Harbor, stands just a few hundred feet off the coast. It’s 161 feet tall, and was completed in 1876. Over time, jetties were built to protect the harbor, which accelerated the erosion on Morris Island around the lighthouse. In 1938, the lighthouse became too difficult to reach and maintain, and thus became automated. By 1962, the lighthouse was too close to the shore due to continued erosion on the island, and state officials ordered it closed. It was replaced by Charleston Light on the north side of nearby Sullivans Island, and is now being preserved by the state of South Carolina.

While all this history is very interesting, I was drawn to the great compositional possibilities of the lighthouse that include this jetty on the northern end of Folly Beach that leads right out to the tower in the distance. I used a long lens to compress the scene and bring the rocks and lighthouse closer together. The sunrise that morning wasn’t too exciting, but did provide a nice pink/red glow to the sky.